


Better the Devil You Know

by summerbutterfly



Category: Saiyuki, Saiyuki Gaiden
Genre: Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Community: 7thnight_smut, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Nudity, Sexual Content, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 21:27:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12308136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerbutterfly/pseuds/summerbutterfly
Summary: It’s not easy being a Yakuza boss.  Especially when you know you don’t know your husband as well as you think you do.





	Better the Devil You Know

**Author's Note:**

> For Absolutnegation.

"I think my husband is trying to kill me.” 

The woman in front of him dabbed the corners of her wide blue eyes with the edge of a hanky. She was gaikokujin, foreign-born by the lilt in her accent, with incredibly pale skin and a nervous habit of tapping the heel of her designer pumps against the floor as she spoke. But Kenren was more distracted than he should have been, so he only vaguely noted the kinds of details he would ordinarily commit to memory during a first meeting. The kinds of things he would rely on later when he got to work. 

“You and me both,” he murmured. He pulled a pen from his pocket and clicked it, only realizing when the woman paused in her hanky-dabbing that he’d spoken out loud. 

“Sorry?” she questioned.

Kenren shook his head. “Nothing,” he said. “I just lost track of myself for a second. So you think your husband is trying to kill you, Ms….?”

“Abalone. Penelope Abalone, but you can just call me Penelope. No need for formalities when we’re talking about life and death, Mr. Taisho.”

“Kenren,” Kenren said. “Call me Kenren, if you would.”

“Ah. But of course.” Penelope Abalone smiled in a watery way that made her look all that much more like the damsel in distress she was. “And I have to admit, Kenren. I don’t have any proof of my accusation. Just a horrible feeling. He’s acting strange, you know? Late nights, skulking about. And the other day, I could have sworn I heard him talking about bringing a hand gun to his business meeting. A handgun! To a business meeting!” 

“That is very unusual, indeed, Ms. Penelope. At least for a Minister of Public Parks.” 

“That’s what I thought, too.” Penelope sniffled and folded her hands. “So I asked around, and…well…all the Ladies of the Ward seemed to think I need to take some precautions. They also say you’re the best in that business, Kenren. You and your partners. I’m willing to pay any price for my own protection because it matters that much. You understand, don’t you?” 

“I understand completely, Ms. Penelope. And I’d be happy help you with your situation.”

“Thank you.” Penelope reached across the desk to touch his hand. Kenren resisted the urge to jerk back, instead forcing himself to smile. “I’m glad to hear that. It’s so hard being a stranger in new town, you see. You never know who you can trust.”

“You can trust me, Ms. Penelope. Don’t even worry.”

“Now that I’ve met you,” Penelope said. “I surely won’t.”

****

The truth of the matter was, Kenren Taisho wasn’t really in the “protecting” business. Nor was he a lawyer. The firm of Kappa, Monk and Monk existed as a front for the Taisho-rengo, the yakuza rulers of Shinjuku’s Kagurazaka district, and it had been that way for years. Ever since Kenren was a young boy, when his father had headed up the family in his place, he could remember sitting in this room, on the other side of what was now his mahogany desk, watching his father polish the barrel of an unloaded pistol, a bottle of warm sake and two cups on a nearby bamboo mat. 

“Remember Kenren,” his father said. “The only thing you can really count on in this life is family. No matter what, you never turn your back on your family, you understand?”

“Yes, Papa.”

Young Kenren had watched his father put the gun and the polishing rag away. And then he poured sake and they drank. It was a nightly ritual, after which Kenren was sent upstairs to study. He graduated high school three years later at the top of his class and, upon his fathers death, assumed control of Kappa, Monk and Monk. He had just turned 18.

Now 30, Kenren was feeling every year.

“Hey boss, you called?” 

Kenren looked up. Two men stood in his doorway. They were dressed in identical designer suits, sporting identical slicked-back blond hair, though only one currently wore his long enough to put it in a braided ponytail. They could have been mistaken for brothers, and often were, but they were only family in the chosen sense. Konzen had been with Kenren since the day he assumed the his seat at the head of the table. Koumyou had been his father’s right hand, and had gladly stayed in his position to assist the son of his late oyabun. 

Kenren rubbed his forehead. “That was fast,” he noted. “I thought you two weren’t in the offices today.”

“We weren’t,” Konzen said. “But we were nearby getting coffee, so we came right in.”

“Wow. Thanks for bringing me some,” Kenren muttered. “I could use a good cup of coffee right about now.”

“You think we didn’t bring you any?” Koumyou held up a nondescript white cup wrapped in a nondescript brown sleeve. “Americano, extra light, hold the sugar.” He walked over and set the cup down on Kenren’s desk. “Have some faith, Boss Man.”

Koumyou sat down in Penelope Abalone’s vacated seat. Konzen sat down next to him, pulling up a chair from the other side of the room.

“So,” Konzen said. “We’re helping out some gaijin?”

“Don’t use that word,” Koumyou admonished. “It’s gaikokujin now, remember?”

“Fine,” Konzen said. “So we’re helping out some gaikokujin?”

“We’ve been asked to,” Kenren said. “I haven’t actually made any decisions yet.”

“Why not?” Koumyou asked.

“Because messing with foreigners comes with a whole host of problems.” Kenren leaned back in his chair. “Nevermind that when Ms. Abalone came in here asking for protection, I don’t think she realized exactly why the Ladies of the Ward recommended us.”

“What the fuck does she think we do?” Konzen asked.

“Language, Konzen,” Koumyou said, slapping Konzen’s knee. “But that is a good question. What exactly does she think we do? Why come here if she doesn’t want to defend herself? Surely someone let it be known we’re…men of a certain trade.”

“You make us sound like prostitutes,” Konzen said. 

“Well, we are in a way, right? People pay for our services?”

Koumyou flashed a disarming smile as Konzen’s expression grew dark. Kenren just shook his head. It was an age-old debate between the two of them. Probably because Koumyou had no problems indulging in pleasures of the flesh, while Konzen took a much more monk-like approach to life and resented any hints to the contrary.

“Regardless of what we call it, we’ve been asked to perform,” Kenren said. “So what do you know? Tell me.”

Koumyou took out his phone. “Kamoe Izuku,” he said. “Minister of Amateur Recreation for Yoyogi Park. Married Abigail Penelope Abalone in Nice, France on October 10, 2015. Moved to the Ward in the fall of 2016. No children, no local family.”

“And?” Kenren prompted.

“And that’s it. That’s all I’ve got. Kamoe is clean from what I can tell.”

“Except he’s not,” Konzen said. “Or he went into business with the wrong people.”

“If that’s the case, then I’m all for giving her a basic detail and leaving it at that,” Kenren said. “I’m not looking to start a full-on turf war with some low-grade public servant.”

“Who should we send?” Koumyou asked.

Kenren thought about it for a moment. “Send Goku,” he said at last. “He’s cute and harmless-looking and can totally pass for a part-timer doing busy work. Also, if things go wrong, we know he can defend himself.”

Koumyou snickered while Konzen snorted. They’d learned the hard way about the darker side of Goku’s temper when some low-brow street thugs from Akibahara tried to mess with one of Goku’s former school mates. Only one of them made it out with all his limbs intact. The rest were pretty much unrecognizable. 

“Anything else?” Konzen asked. “Want us to look into Kamoe a little further?”

“Yeah,” Kenren said. “See what you can find. Obviously there is something we should know about, so keep him under surveillance. And dig. Find out where he goes, who he drinks with, what hostesses know his name.”

“Done,” Koumyou said. “That it?”

“That’s it.” Kenren waved his hand toward the door. “Go forth and be badass. I’m heading home for the day. Tell the secretaries downstairs that they can take the rest of the afternoon off.”

“Yes, sir.”

Koumyou and Konzen stood up and bowed.

Kenren thoughtfully sipped his coffee as he watched them leave.

****

The house was empty when Kenren got home an hour or so later. And he knew that because there were three semi-feral cats hanging out on his doorstep.

“Afternoon, ladies,” Kenren said as he unlocked the door. “Ten-chan hasn’t come home yet?”

The ‘leader’, a predominantly-white calico, chirped at him in response and rubbed up against his legs. Of the three, she was the only one to ever approach anyone, but Kenren knew better than to try and pet her. Byakko, as she was affectionately called, liked to restrict her interactions with to specific humans only. Kenren was not one of those humans, but he didn’t mind because Byakko and her gang kept the rodent population of Kagurazaka to pretty much non-existent. 

“Come on in,” he said as Byakko shot past him and up the stairs. “I guess I’ll get your meal started.”

“No need.” A figure appeared at the top of the stairs, silent and fluid and smiling with a dish in his hands. “I’ve got everything prepped and ready to go!”

“Jesus, you scared me,” Kenren said. “I didn’t think you were home.”

“Oh, I’m here. I just kept the ladies out on the stoop because I was boiling the chicken. I didn’t want them climbing on the stove like last time.”

“Right. Of course.” Kenren stepped aside as Byakko’s henchwomen scurried up the stairs behind their mistress. “Doubtful you’d get a second shot at bandaging crispy paws.”

“Well, I’m sure they could be persuaded, but why take the chance.” Tenpou disappeared behind the wall into the kitchen. “Have you eaten?”

“No. I was in meetings all day.” Kenren kicked off his shoes and put on his house slippers. “You?”

“I had late lunch, but I was hoping I could talk you in to stopping by Zo’s for some dinner.”

Kenren made a non-commital noise. “Zo is late on his dues again.”

“Is he? That’s too bad.” Kenren heard the clink of plates being placed on the bamboo floor. “He used to be so timely.”

“It’s been rough for him since he tried to strike out on his own. I told him not to. I told him the marubo would be down on his ass before he even got started. But he wouldn’t listen.”

“That was months ago.” Tenpou smiled again as Kenren reached the top of the stairs. “I’m sure he’s learned his lesson. You two should kiss and make up.”

“Hm. Maybe.” Kenren leaned over and kissed Tenpou on the cheek. “But that’s up to him. If he wants to come back into the fold, he knows what he has to do.”

“Oh, come now, Ken-chan.” Tenpou turn to catch Kenren’s lips. “You wouldn’t really make him swear his loyalty to you all over again, would you?”

“You’re damn right I would,” Kenren said. “What kind of boss would I be if I didn’t? There are rules for this kind of thing, you know. Rules that are meant to be followed!”

“But Zo is an old friend.” Tenpou tangled his fingers in Kenren’s shirt. “An old friend, and a good friend. You know he didn’t get out to betray you. He got out because he wanted to be a better role model for his son. You can’t tell me that if you were Zo, you wouldn’t have done the same.”

“Tenpou…”

“Ken-chan.” Tenpou added a pout to his finger-tangling, which had become less tangling and more a slow unbuttoning the front of Kenren’s shirt. “Just think about it okay? Or at least think about giving him a milder form of punishment.”

“Why the sudden interest?” Kenren’s eyes followed Tenpou’s hands as they pushed the sides of his shirt apart. “You seem unusually concerned about his. Is there something I should know?”

“Hmm?” Tenpou knelt down, undoing the buckle on Kenren’s expensive black leather belt. “What do you mean by that? Don’t you think I would tell you if there was? You know we don’t keep secrets.”

“The hell we don’t,” Kenren murmured. His hands cradled the back of Tenpou’s head as Tenpou opened his pants. “You have _closets_ full of skeletons, and so do I.”

“You exaggerate.”

“Says the man with a body count higher than the entire Triad.”   
Tenpou paused in the process of hooking his fingers into Kenren’s briefs. “You really do exaggerate,” he said. “The _entire_ Triad? Really?”

“You’re the one who makes his living by killing people.” 

“Yes,” Tenpou said, pulling Kenren’s underwear down. “And I already told you I won’t be stopping any time soon.”

“Oh, I know.”

“But in the meantime, you have no need to worry.” 

 

“You sure about that?” 

“Yes, Ken-chan. I’m sure.”

Tenpou leaned forward. Kenren’s head dropped back against the kitchen wall, his eyes falling closed. Tenpou took him in his mouth, wet and dirty, just the way Kenren liked it, and he had to sigh. Tenpou was slurping a little too loudly for this to not be a pre-meditated distraction, but Kenren didn’t care. He also didn’t care that Byakko and the ladies were finishing their meal just a few feet away, though he was usually loathe to have an audience (even if it was a disinterested one). Because Tenpou’s mouth was a thing of beauty. And Kenren never objected to letting Tenpou suck him dry.

“So you had a good day?” Kenren asked, biting his lip.

Tenpou murmured something to the affirmative before sliding off Kenren’s cock with a wet pop. “I did. Want to hear about it?”

“Can you suck me off and talk at the same time?”

“I don’t see why not.” Tenpou fisted the base and licked over the head. “I’m good at multi-tasking.”

“Then have at it,” Kenren said. “Tell me about your day.”

“Well, first thing I did was the shopping.” Tenpou gave him a long, suck, nibbling that one little spot that he knew drove Kenren wild. “I got some fresh daikon today that I thought we could pickle.”

“Mmmm, that sounds good.”

“After that, I roamed around town a little bit. Followed up on a few inquiries.” Tenpou kissed Kenren’s shaft lovingly. “Then I headed over to Ueno park, which might have been a mistake because once I did that, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

“Because of that one time near Gojoten Jinja?”

“Mmm hmm.” Tenpou looked up from under lowered lashes. “That’s when I decided I was blowing you as soon as you got home.”

“Ah, so this isn’t a distraction technique?”

“I didn’t say that.”  
“Of course you didn’t.” Kenren ran his thumb over the line of Tenpou’s jaw. “But you know it’s effective, so I have a hard time believing that that’s not part of this.” 

“Maybe I love the taste of your cock, did you ever think of that?” Tenpou squeezed Kenren’s balls, teasing at the slit with just the tip of his tongue. “Also, I’m sorry if that distracts you, but I’m not going to stop.” 

“Great Kannon, you better not,” Kenren groaned. “More of that, by the way, if you don’t mind.”

“More of what? Ball play or slit-teasing?”

“Both. Worship my cock the way it deserves to be worshipped.”

“You say the sweetest things.” 

Tenpou opened his mouth wide, swallowing Kenren down almost to the base. Kenren surrendered to the pleasure, knees buckling a little bit as Tenpou worked him over. Vaguely, he heard the ladies make their exit through the open kitchen window, which seemed to be his cue to start moaning shamelessly, begging Tenpou to push him into a bittersweet orgasm. Tenpou, in true Tenpou style, ignored him and dragged things out, sucking and biting and teasing until Kenren barely knew his own name. Which made Tenpou chuckle.

“In my mouth or in my ass?” Tenpou asked, squeezing Kenren to stave off the inevitable. “Which do you prefer, Ken-chan?”

“Ass,” Kenren gasped. “Get in the bedroom right now so I can fuck you senseless.”

Tenpou smiled, getting to his feet and kissing Kenren’s bitten-red lips. “You really do say the sweetest things,” he cooed. 

****

Later, much later, when they were sprawled naked together across their king size bed, Kenren took a long drag off his cigarette and looked Tenpou in the eye. 

“So what is it?” he asked. “What’s the deal with Kamoe Izuku?”

“Drugs,” Tenpou murmured. He nuzzled Kenren’s chest, eyes half-closed in post-coital contentment. “Kamoe is a friend of Li Touten’s, and his connection to a very large number of clients inside the local and national branches of the government.”

“And the wife?”

“She’s no one. She was sent to try and distract you. Which she failed at, by the way.”

“Imagine that.” Kenren puffed out a smoke ring. “It’s almost like, if given a choice, I prefer the company of men.”

“Man,” Tenpou corrected. “You like me, and all the excellent head I give you.”

“I like you for more than that.” Kenren pulled Tenpou closer, kissing his forehead. “Even if I know I shouldn’t.”

Tenpou was quiet and, in a way, his silence was almost harder to hear than an outright denial. Not that Kenren didn’t know what he was getting into when he took Tenpou into his home. This is how the underground worked. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. In their line of work, it wasn’t just an adage, it was how you stayed alive.

 _The only thing you can really count on in this life is family_ , his father’s voice reminded him, and Kenren sighed inside.

_I’m sorry, Papa. I knew better and I did it anyway._

“Kenren?” Tenpou was suddenly on top of him, stretched out like a great big, lazy cat. “Where did you go? I asked you a question.”

“Hm? Sorry.” Kenren tapped his cigarette on the ash tray next to the bed. “I was thinking too hard again, what’s up?”

“I wanted to know what you promised her. The wife. Did you promise her anything?”

“I told Konzen and Koumyou to assign Goku to her, but that’s all. If she’s just a pawn, keeping an eye on her isn’t the worst thing. And keeping her alive may end up being to our advantage.”

“You think you can skew her loyalty?” Tenpou plucked the cigarette from Kenren’s lips and took a long drag before handing it back. “Pull her into the fold?”

“No. Not necessarily,” Kenren said. “Mostly because I don’t think she’s in any real danger. If it’s drugs, her husband is carrying sidearms to protect himself. That’s it. Even if I had the opportunity to take her in, it wouldn’t make much difference.”

“And if she gets caught in crossfire?”

“The wife of a minor dealer? Doubt it. He’s got nothing. No real power, no real responsibility. If it were me and I wanted him gone, I’d just pick him off, set her up for life, and move on.”

“Mmm, true. But we can’t forget about Li Touten, Ken-chan. You know he’s always had a flare for the dramatic.” Tenpou ran his fingers through Kenren’s tousled hair. “It goes with his intense victimization complex.”

Kenren looked over. “I feel like you’re not telling me something.”

“You’d be right.”

“Tenpou…”

Tenpou pressed his fingers to Kenren’s lips. “It’s not about you,” he said. “Not this time. Just keep looking the other way. Close ranks on the Ward. Let this be. You don’t let your boys run drugs anyway, so what’s the big deal? What’s at stake?”

Kenren sighed. “My pride?” he responded. “My honor? The respect of my ancestors? The ghostly wrath of my father?”

“There is a reason pride is referred to as a deadly sin, Ken-chan.” 

Tenpou kissed him gently. Kenren considered making the argument that lust was also included in that list of deadly sins, but Tenpou’s mouth was soft, his tongue wicked, and it was so much easier to just stop thinking all together.

“Why do you always distract me with sex?” Kenren asked.

Tenpou sat up and straddled him, hands splaying across Kenren’s chest. “Because it works. And because you like it.”

Kenren curled his hands around Tenpou’s hips. “Fucking you is going to be the death of me someday. I’m not sure why I’m not more upset about that.”

“Because all in all,” Tenpou said, “fucking is a pretty damn good way to die.”

****

Konzen came alone the next morning, flaxen locks shimmering in the rising sun like he was some sort of holy being and not the loyal 2nd lieutenant to a crime boss. Kenren found the paradox amusing, even as Konzen scowled at his saying so.

“Someone is well-fucked this morning.” Konzen slammed a coffee down on Kenren’s desk. “Get it all night from your human dildo?”

“Don’t talk shit about Tenpou because you don’t have someone in your life right now.” Kenren gestured for him to sit down. “Thanks for the coffee.”

“You’re welcome. You’re lucky I didn’t see your smug face first or else I might have had the barista spit in it.”

“Charming. Wow. Can we just move on and get to your report?”

“Sure.” Konzen leaned back in his chair and crossed his ankle over his knee. “Goku says it’s drugs. But I’m assuming you already knew that.”

“Nothing wrong with confirmation.” Kenren lifted the lid from his cup and blew on the steaming, dark liquid. “Did he witness a deal?”

“No, just walked into a house full of paraphernalia. It’s so obvious, it’s a wonder Kamoe even still has a government job. So either the wife is incredibly dim, or she’s willfully ignoring his obvious side hustle.”

“Mmmm,” Kenren mused. “Really obvious you say?”

“So obvious. Obvious to the point I’m surprised he’s doesn’t have a neon sign out front. I mean, look at these.” Konzen handed Kenren his phone. “Goku snapped them while the wife was making tea. A propane tank in the corner, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine all over the table…Is she blind? The gun isn’t to shoot her, it’s to shoot any outsider who comes too close to his meth lab!”

“I take it Kamoe wasn’t home when Goku stopped by?”

“No, and I told him to keep it that way. Also told him to tell anyone who asks that his name is Bakasaru. He didn’t like that, though, so we compromised with Sun Wukong.”

“The monkey king?” Kenren chuckled. “I guess that’s better than having him call himself the Jade Emperor, but seriously?”

“The kid picked it, not me.”

“He might not have if you hadn’t wanted to call him ‘stupid monkey.’” Kenren handed Konzen back his phone. “Pull him off the detail.”

“What?”

“Pull him off. Now. I don’t want one of my kids in that environment. Also, get Koumyou to run their file and terminate their lease. I want them out of the Ward.”

“Boss, if you do that, Touten’s gonna hear about it. They’re allies.”

“And? Kamoe’s working on _my_ turf, using my property for _his_ operations. If he wants to do that, then he can find them a new place to live. This is a clean Ward. We don’t run shit through here, we never have, and we never will. Get them out. I want it done before the end of the week.”

“And Touten?”

“If Li Touten wants to make a scene, I’ll deal with him personally.”

“Wow.” Konzen looked impressed in spite of himself. “Haven’t seen you take the hard line like this in a long time. Maybe regular sex _is_ good for you.”

“Regular sex is good for everyone. You’d know that if you ever had any.”

“Sorry, but unlike you, boss, my head is clear and I don’t need to spurt off to keep it that way.”

Kenren laughed out loud. “Get out of here,” he said good-naturedly. “Go do the job I pay you for.”

“You pay me?” Konzen stood up. “Is that what you call that pathetic allowance you hand me at the end of the week? Could use a few more zeros…”

“Get out!” Kenren yelled.

Konzen turned for the door without another word, but Kenren didn’t miss the tiny smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth.

When he was alone again, Kenren took a minute to finish his coffee, boot up his computer, and scroll through his emails. It was amazing how much spam people had the gall to send to a yakuza boss. Like he needed another rice cooker, or a genuine set of faux-pearl inlay chopsticks. Resting his chin on his hand, he clicked delete on line after line until something caught his attention. It was an address only, no subject line, but the hair on the back of his neck stood up as he tapped it open. 

 

 

_My dearest son,_

_I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t get in touch. Your grandmother has taken a turn for the worst and I fear won’t live out the month. If you can find it in your heart to come up to Hokkaido to pay your last respects, I’m sure she would be grateful. If not, we both will understand._

_Love you.  
Love,  
Mom _

“Fuck.” Kenren scrubbed his face with his hands. “Fuckity fuck fuck fucking _fuck_.”

“Something wrong?”

Kenren jerked around so fast he almost fell out of his chair. “Holy name,” he cursed. “You have really got to stop materializing in places where I don’t expect you!”

“Sorry,” Tenpou said. “You forgot your lunch. And as much as I’d love to see you for a bit if you had to come home, I know you have a busy day.”

“Just…leave it over there,” Kenren said, waving to the far end of his desk. “And please. Get in the habit of knocking. You know I hate being startled, especially when I’m at work.”

“Sorry,” Tenpou said again. He set down Kenren’s bento with his best contrite expression. “Are you mad at me?” 

“No,” Kenren sighed. “You know I’m incapable of being mad at you.”

“Hm. That’s usually true, but there can be a first time for everything.” Tenpou sat down on the edge of the desk. “So what’s got you so upset you’re cursing the Jade Emperor?” Kenren didn’t answer right away, letting the silence stretch on long enough to make Tenpou’s brow furrow. “Kenren?”

“I got an email from my mom,” Kenren said.

“Your…mom?” There wasn’t much that could make Tenpou look surprised, but news of this sort apparently could. “I…wasn’t aware you had any living relatives.”

“Yup. I do.”

“You never talk about her…”

“I know. There’s a reason for that.”

Kenren didn’t elaborate.

Tenpou knew better than to ask.

“What does she want?” he inquired instead.

“She wants me to come to Hokkaido to pay my last respects to my dying grandmother.”

“Are you going to go?”

“What do you think?” Kenren pinched the bridge of his nose. With his opposite hand, he reached over and pressed the inter-office extension to connect him to his front desk receptionist.

“Yes, Mr. Taisho?” a female voice chirped. 

“Lirin, I need a reservation on the first shinkansen out to Hokkaido tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, sir. Just one seat?”

“Just one.”

“Okay.” The perky sounds of typing drifted over the line. Lirin was quiet, and then, “There. All set. You have a reserved seat in Gran Class for tomorrow morning, leaving at 6:42 a.m. from Tokyo Station.”

“Thank you, Lirin.”

“My pleasure, sir.”

Lirin hung up.

“You’re going alone.” It was a statement, not a question, and Kenren knew Tenpou well enough to recognize the edge in his voice. “Is that really wise, Kenren?”

“I’m going to see my mother and my dying grandmother. There is no reason to turn this into a production.”

“I understand, but you could have at least taken me along.”

“To do what? Make this more awkward?”

Tenpou looked genuinely offended. “Merciful Goddess, Kenren. I’m not some floozy. I’m your _husband_.”

“Yes? And? All that proves is that I have already mixed far too much business with my pleasure. If this were any sort of normal relationship, I wouldn’t care, but we are not normal.” Kenren stood, softening a bit when he saw the pout on Tenpou’s face. “Look, I’ll be back before you know it. There’s no need for you to go all the way out there for people you don’t even know.”

Tenpou looked away and lifted his chin. “This is not at all the way I envisioned my married life. I feel like a pet.”

“Yeah, well.” Kenren leaned over and kissed Tenpou’s cheek. “You’re the one who just had to land yourself a yakuza boss.”

******  
6:42 came very early the next morning. Kenren was up before first light, putting the last of his toiletries in an overnight bag and departing for Tokyo Station before the sun even had the chance to peek over the horizon. He didn’t say goodbye to Tenpou. In fact, he didn’t say goodbye to anyone save Koumyou, who was informed of his plans by a note to be delivered during work hours by one of the street kids. He even took a taxi to the station, not wanting anyone else to be any more involved than they already were.

Gran Class was empty save one exceedingly hung over businessman who was already snoring three rows back. Kenren settled in, and covered his ears with a pair of noise-cancelling head phones. 

The trip took a little over four hours. Kenren disembarked at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station in need of a cigarette and a decent cup of coffee. Since there wasn’t much inside the station, he made his way to a nearby cafe.

He wasn't there long before he was approached. Not by someone he recognized, but by someone obviously sent to fetch him. He wasn’t sure if his mother just instinctively knew he’d be there, or if she’d just decided to send someone down to regularly check the station area for anyone matching Kenren’s description. Either way, he followed the nervous older man to the waiting car and got in the back seat.

“So you are…” the man looked down at a slip of paper in his hand, “Kenren Taisho?”

“That’s me,” Kenren said. 

“Ah. Good.” The man dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief. “I’m your driver.”

“I figured.”  
“I was asked to bring you…straight to the temple.”

“That’s fine.”

“It is?”

“Yes.”

“O…okay.” 

The man started the car. Kenren sat back, saying nothing else. The man pulled out into the street and turned South.

There was barely any traffic. Probably because it was still fairly early, but also because the area wasn’t heavily populated from what Kenren could see. He had vague recollections of Hokkaido from early on in his childhood, and it seemed almost as if nothing had changed. Hokkaido was the same as it was before his father became Oyabun. Before his mother fled the city to return to her childhood home, unable to watch her husband and son turn into yakuza. And in a way, Kenren wasn’t resentful. It was a beautiful place. That, and he and his mother had communicated over the years, mostly by postcard, then later, electronically, so she’d never really been completely absent from his life. But the more landscape that went by, the more Kenren realized how much he didn’t know about the situation he was walking in to. He probably should have been more anxious about that, but instead there was just a dull niggling where his usual caution would be.

“Will you…ah…be staying long?” his driver asked. It was an attempt to break the stagnant silence with conversation, so Kenren indulged him.

“No,” he said. “I plan on traveling back to Tokyo tonight.”

“Really?” The man seemed surprised. “I would have thought…”

“I have work that I can’t leave for very long,” Kenren said. “Also, my family and I are not that close. This is mostly a courtesy.”

“Oh.”

The man resumed his silence.

A few minutes later, Kenren saw the sloping roof of the temple pagoda in the distance.

Per his request, his driver let him off at the gate and not the main entrance. The air was cool, but not cold, and Kenren had always preferred entering sacred places on foot rather than by other means. The driver didn’t wait, though he did accept Kenren’s tip and bow of thanks before driving off, leaving Kenren alone on the quiet, tree-lined path. Kenren began to walk. 

The air smelled of damp and earth. 

That was the last thing he remembered.

*****

When he opened his eyes, he was in a dimly-lit room, presumably underground and presumably nowhere near the temple where he’d been dropped off. His whole body ached, and he was, unsurprisingly, handcuffed to the most uncomfortable metal folding chair he’d ever been forced to sit upon.

Kenren let his head fall back with a heavy sigh. 

“All right,” he said. “Who are you? What do you want? Is this a negotiation or a hostage situation? Catch me up while I’m still conscious.”

“You talk an awful lot for someone who’s out of his jurisdiction.” The voice came from Kenren’s left, low and sonorous with a hint of grit. “Also, this is neither. This is an execution.”

“An execution?” Kenren squinted in the disembodied voice’s direction. “What’s my crime?”

“Bribery, thievery. Putting your hands on something that does not belong to you.”

Kenren raised an eyebrow. “ _That_ warrants execution these days? What happen to excommunication or chopping off a pinky?”

“You may live by the old ways in the city, but up here, we have our own rules.” A figure stepped out of the shadows. “I want my assassin back, Kenren Taisho. And since I’m not a patient man, I’m taking him by force.”

Kenren sized up the other occupant of the room. He was large, tall and broad, and his thin undershirt did nothing to hide the enormous bull tattoo that covered his right arm from shoulder to wrist. His dark hair was pulled back in a topknot, and he had a septum piercing that glinted gold in the dull light. 

“You’re going to have to forgive me,” Kenren said. “But I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

“The hell you don’t!” The man stalked towards him, growing in height with every step he took. “You performed a sakazuki ritual with Tenpou Gensui two years ago and you have been co-habitating every since. Did you think I didn’t know? Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

“Uh…no and no?” Kenren said. “I don’t even _know_ you, why would I worry about you finding out I’ve been living with Tenpou since we got married?”

“You got _married_?” The high-pitched, rising squeak that punctuated the question was extremely incongruent to a man of his captor’s size. “Are you _kidding_?”

“No, I’m not kidding,” Kenren said. “We’re married.”

“Bullshit!” the man roared, and Kenren shrank back a little. “You can’t be married! It’s not legal!”

“Neither is being a mob boss,” Kenren said. “But it’s amazing what gets overlooked, innit?”

“You know, I’m really not appreciating your sarcasm right now,” his captor snapped. “Because married is _kind of a big deal_ and I’m kind of pissed I’m _just now finding out!_ ”

“And that is because…?”

“That is because I’ve now lost him completely, obviously!”

Kenren groaned. “Are you telling me that I received an email not from my mother but from a jilted ex-lover wanting to exact some fucked up revenge on me?”

“I am not jilted!” the man yelled. “Also, it’s not my fault you are weak and gullible. Did you not even think to check the validity of that message before you came up here? How stupid are you?”

“I don’t believe I have to justify my decisions to anyone, let alone you.” Kenren eyed his captor. “Also, why do you feel the need to kill me? Why not just ask Tenpou to come back? I don’t own him. He’s free to come and go as he pleases. I’m not his keeper.” 

“That’s ridiculous.” The man folded his arms. “You’re _married_. So _obviously_ you’re in love with him. You’re telling me you’d just…let him go if he asked?” 

“I don’t believe a human being owns another human being,” Kenren said. “Love, marriage, sakazuki, no sakazuki, free will is a thing. People are going to make their own choices, and it’s not up to any of us, or any sort of unspoken societal rules to tell them otherwise.”

The man in front of him shook his head. “I can’t believe you,” he said. “I really…I mean, have you _had_ sex with him yet?”

“Yes,” Kenren said. “Quite a bit actually.”

“Well then you _know_ …” The man’s demeanor suddenly changed, and he almost seemed to deflate right before Kenren’s eyes. “Then you know what I lost. He’s so…sweet. So _tender_. I’ve never had another man come close to worshipping me the way he did.”

Kenren tried to imagine using such words to describe the kinky freak who liked Kenren to tie him to the bed and spank him. “Um…sure,” he said. “But that’s not…”

“He was the best lover I’ve ever had.” The man sank to the ground, suddenly nothing more than a sad puddle of emotions. “I’ve tried to move on, but I just…I just can’t, Kenren!”

“Right. Okay. Um, if we’re on a first-name basis, you want to tell me who you are so I can return the courtesy?”

“Gyumaoh,” said a new voice. “His name is Gyumaoh.” Tenpou stepped out of the shadows, gun drawn, lips set in a grim line. “We dated for a few months before I moved to Tokyo, but that’s all.”

Kenren was torn between wanting to scream, and wanting to indulge in a shamefully-overwhelming sense of relief. 

“You really are a fucking ninja,” he said, not failing to notice the way Gyumaoh perked up at Tenpou’s sudden arrival. “Also, how did you know where to find me?”

“I bribed the porter on the shinkansen with 50,000 yen,” Tenpou said. “He let me change seats with that drunk guy who didn’t know where he was so I could keep an eye on you, and then, when we got here, I followed your car. At a distance, of course.” 

“You really terrify me,” Kenren muttered, but his words were drown out buy Gyumaoh’s voice.

“Tennie” he moaned. “Tennie-chan, I missed you!”

Tenpou rolled his eyes and walked over to Kenren’s chair. “Gyumaoh, I really don’t have time for this today. I explained everything to you the day we broke up, and my feelings haven’t changed. Now, if you don’t mind, I need Ken-chan back. We have an emergency.”

“What?” Kenren flexed his wrists as Tenpou set them free. “What do you mean emergency.”

“Kamoe took advantage of your absence to make his move,” Tenpou said. 

“He _what_?”

“It’s really bad, Ken-chan. We need to go right now.”

“Who’s on the ground?”

“Konzen and Goku. They were holding their own when I last talked to them, but Koumyou was having a difficult time getting the civilians to safety.”

“Fuck.” Kenren stood up. “It’s gonna take us 4 hours to get back. How long can they…”

“It’s not going to take us four hours.” Tenpou stepped between Kenren and Gyumaoh, gun still trained on the latter. “There’s a helicopter waiting for us at a station about fifteen minutes from here.”

“A wha?”

“A helicopter. So we need to get going. Gyumaoh, where’s your car?”

“I…out back…” Gyumaoh stammered.

“Give me your keys.” Tenpou held out his hand. “Come on, Ken-chan. We are wasting precious time!”

“W…wait,” Gyumaoh said. “Let me come with you.”

“Why?” Tenpou and Kenren asked in unison.

“I…I dunno. Why not? I’m a big guy, maybe I can help. I can carry people or something.”

Tenpou and Kenren looked at each other.

“Fine,” Kenren said. “But you are on _my_ team, regardless of how much you hate me.”

“I know, I know,” Gyumaoh said. “I…I won’t betray you.”

“He’s nothing if not loyal,” Tenpou affirmed. “Now, let’s get going.”

“Follow me,” Gyumaoh said. “I’ll drive.”

****

They landed on the emergency helipad on the roof of Tokyo Teishin Hospital. How Tenpou managed to arrange something like that was beyond Kenren’s comprehension (he was on good terms with the community but not ‘hey-let-me-borrow-your-emergency-landing-space-right-now’ good terms), and the moment they were on the ground, he could hear fighting. Kenren went to look over the edge to see how his boys were doing, but Tenpou pulled him back, dragging him towards the elevators with the kind of determined stride he only got when he was working.

Kenren didn't like it.

“You’re planning something,” he said as the elevator doors slid closed and Tenpou pressed the button for the ground level parking. “What are you planning?”

“I have no idea what you mean.” Tenpou unbuttoned his jacket, revealing a bulletproof vest with two holsters on each side. 

“The fuck you don’t,” Kenren said. “You are carrying _four guns_.”

“Yes? And? That’s only two more than I usually carry.” Tenpou pulled out two of the smaller pistols and loaded them. “But I figure carrying four will be faster than trying to reload.”

“Who are you shooting???”

“Whomever gets in my way.” Tenpou’s eyes flashed beneath the glare of his lenses. “And while I’m doing that, you and Gyumaoh will protect the civilians. Because that’s part of the deal, Ken-chan. They live here to be under your protection.”

Kenren’s eye twitched. “Why does this feel like you are twisting the situation to suit your own purposes?”

“Because you’re paranoid.” The elevator stopped, and the doors slid open. “Now, go. Help Koumyou. I’ll be back when the threat is neutralized.”

Tenpou pushed past them, heading for the exit. Kenren and Gyumaoh stood there for a long moment, just staring after him.

“Look,” Kenren said at length, “I know he thinks he’s doing the right thing, but…”

“But you’re going to after after him because you’re worried, right?” Gyumaoh smiled. “No need to explain. I get it.” 

“It’s more than just that. This is my turf. What kind of boss am I if I can’t defend my own…”

“In my experience, most generals don’t put themselves on the front lines,” Gyumaoh said, interrupting again. “But clearly, you’re not the type to sit back and watch, so how about this: you tell me what this Koumyou guy looks like and I’ll go find him and the civilians. You go after Tenpou and…do whatever it is you need to do.”

“Why are you being so nice when just an hour ago you wanted to kill me?” Kenren asked.

Gyumaoh shrugged. “I dunno. I guess because I’m only good at acting tough. To tell you the truth, I’ve never killed anything in my life. I even save my house spiders by putting them outside.”

“A soft heart. Might be one of the reasons you and Tenpou broke up,” Kenren murmured. “But anyway, Koumyou is tall and pretty with long blond hair. He’s probably taken as many of the residents as he could to the Shrine, so look there first. It’s just down at the end of the main shopping street. You can’t miss it.”

“Got it, boss.” 

Gyumaoh gave him the thumbs up before heading off in the direction Kenren had pointed.

Kenren himself took Tenpou’s route toward the heart of the district, following the sounds of yelling and gunfire.

He arrived to find a mini war-zone. Kamoe, evidently, had tried to close a deal, but his buyers had had other plans, sparking off a massive turf war. Tenpou had “neutralized” everyone that Konzen and Goku hadn’t yet gotten to, but Konzen was still shooting, panting hard and covered in gunpowder, while Goku was laughing delightedly and kicking ass. There were bodies everywhere, and in the middle of it all was a terrified man in business attire, on his knees and begging for his life.

“Kamoe?” Kenren asked, and Tenpou whipped around, gun aimed at Kenren’s chest in a flash.

Kenren put his hands up. “Asking if that’s Kamoe seeing as he started this damn mess.”

“It is.” Tenpou did not lower his weapon. “Why are you here when I told you to stay back?”

“Because I’m a pain in your ass,” Kenren said. “Also, if you think I’m going to let you and my men put yourselves in danger on my behalf without getting involved, you don’t know me very well.”

“Ken-chan is a good boss,” Goku announced from next to a pile of moaning, writhing bodies. “Ken-chan likes to make sure we’re always taken care of.”

“Ken-chan still needs to do as he’s told,” Tenpou said coldly. “Especially in dangerous situations.”

“It’s my Ward,” Kenren said, hands still raised. “Any situation, dangerous or not, is my business.”

“Not this one.” Tenpou drew a second gun, aiming that one at Kamoe. “This one you _really_ need to stay out of.”

“Care to tell me why?” Kenren heard Konzen reloading his own gun behind him. More than likely, Tenpou heard it too, but he didn’t react.

“Ken-chan, why can’t you just trust me that it’s better you don’t know and that this is for your own good?”

“Because, once again, it’s my Ward. And if you’re going to add to your body count in my Ward, I deserve to know why.”

Tenpou sighed and shook his head. Without taking his eyes off Kenren, he squeezed the trigger on the gun pointed at Kamoe. There was a loud bang and Kamoe fell forward, limp and lifeless on the dirty pavement.

“Wow, Ten-chan. That was pretty cold.” Goku materialized next to Kenren as Tenpou lowered his second gun. “Did he really do all the things you said he did?”

“Kamoe Izuku? No. But this man?” Tenpou nudged the body with his foot. “This man, yes.”

“Wait, what?” Kenren asked.

“Kamoe Izuku has been dead since 2004,” Tenpou explained. “This man is Akashi Rengo. Akashi assumed Kamoe’s identity. He’s the head of one of the largest meth rings in Asia.”

“If he assumed Kamoe’s identity, why didn’t any of his holdings show up when we ran him through the databases?” Konzen asked.

“Because Kamoe isn’t his only assumed identity. He has at least twenty five that we’ve managed to confirm.”

“We?” Kenren questioned. “Who’s we?”

Tenpou brushed his unruly bangs out of his eyes. “Myself and…Penelope Abalone. She’s a long-term colleague. We met while working for MI-6 about ten years ago.”

“Are you kidding?” Kenren could feel his anger rising. “Are you _fucking_ kidding me, Tenpou?”

“Ken-chan, don’t get upset…”

“How can I not get upset when you’re a fucking NARC?”

“Ken-chan, please. I’m not a NARC. And I no longer have any dealings with MI-6 or any other official organization. Neither does Penelope. We’re free agents.”

“Is that supposed to make this better?”

“I…no. But I would hope it would make you feel less like you’ve been targeted.”

Tenpou offered him a conciliatory smile. Kenren was not having it. 

“So you’re a freelance NARC. Nice. Great. Wonderful. Are you done fucking up my Ward now?”

“We never intended to fuck up you Ward. Only keep you from getting caught up in something you didn’t need to be caught up in.”

“So altruistic.”

“It’s true.”

“Whatever.”

“Ken-chan!”

Kenren turned away and didn’t look back.

*****

Koumyou was clearing the Shrine when he arrived, sending families back to their homes with a natural graciousness that had always made Kenren marvel.

“Boss! What are you doing here?” Koumyou waved good-bye to an obasan and her young niece before giving Kenren his full attention. “Did you need something?”

“From you? No.” Kenren shook his head. “Just…needed to go somewhere to unwind for a bit.”

“Oh. Well, we should have everyone cleared out shortly so you can be alone.”

“Don’t rush. It’s not a big deal.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Kenren turned toward the sound of strange, gravely laughter. “He didn’t cause you any trouble, did he?”

“Who, Gyumaoh? Not in the slightest.” Koumyou smiled a little. “He was anything but, actually. Not to mention cute.”

Kenren raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you liked the bad boy type.”

“Oh, I like every type. But I have a particular weakness for men with tattoos who are good with kids.” Koumyou sighed as Gyumaoh pretended to run away from a giggling little girl in pigtails who couldn’t have been much older than three. “Where did you find him?”

“Long story,” Kenren said, “but he helped us get back here, and tagged along afterwards because he wanted to be our ally.”

“Oh. Hm. Well, if you don’t mind…”

“Not at all. All yours.”

Koumyou smiled, and went back to bidding the departing residents good night. Kenren found himself a quiet corner to settle in to.

Little by little, the noise around him subsided. Eventually, he was alone, and the silence lasted long enough for him to slip into a light meditation. At least until he heard footsteps echoing towards him.

“What?” he demanded. 

“It’s past midnight. I was starting to get concerned.”

Kenren opened his eyes. Tenpou had changed into loose-fitting pants and one of Kenren’s shirts. a cheap ploy that made Kenren angrier. Kenren knew Tenpou knew how much he loved it when Tenpou wore his clothes, and tonight, the little manipulation was not appreciated. 

“Aren’t you coming home?” Tenpou asked.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Kenren said.

“Well, you can’t stay here.”

“Can’t I?” Kenren waved his hand, indicating the space around him. “It’s a Shrine. One of the things it is for is protection.”

“Protection from what?” 

Kenren didn't reply.

Tenpou frowned. “You think you need protection from me…”

“Do I?”

“Of course you don’t!”

“Are you sure?” Kenren stood up. “Or…you know what? No. maybe you’re right. Maybe I don’t need protection from you. At least not this version of you. But which version am I going to get if I go home, Tenpou? The loving husband? The stone-cold killer? The marubo-dekka intent on saving the world?”

“You’ll get all of those because I am all of those things.”

“But what else?” Kenren asked. “What else are you that I don’t even know about yet?”

“Ken-chan…” Tenpou walked over and stood in front of him. He took Kenren’s hands. “Ken-chan, please. My work is part of me, but I don’t bring work home. You are not work.”

“I want to believe you.”

“Then believe me. Do you really think I would do that to you?”

“Honestly, I just don’t know any more.”

Tenpou sighed, but there was no malice in it. “Come home,” he said gently. “Come home and I’ll make you dinner and we can talk about it in the morning. I’ll explain what Penelope and I were looking to accomplish, and I’ll put your mind at ease.”

“You’re not going to kill me in my sleep?”

“Ken-chan, I would never.” 

Tenpou kissed him, light and sweet, and then threaded their fingers together pulling Kenren towards the exit. Kenren followed, because he always followed. Because he never said no. Because he was the type to think with his heart first and his brain after.

They walked in silence, the distance noise of nighttime foot traffic drifting faintly to them on a soft breeze.

Behind his back, Tenpou reached into his pocket and clicked off a tiny recording device.

**Author's Note:**

> Holy wow. It's been a year since I put anything up here. That feels *terrible.*
> 
> It's not that I haven't been writing, but I haven't written anything I'd want to put up here. It's some weird thing I'm going through, but with any luck I'll keep pushing myself to get out of it, and get back to finishing a lot of the unfinished work I've got laying around. Sorry to anyone who's been waiting for something. I'm not gone, and I absolutely reply to comments when I get them. I've just been quiet. <3


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